Chapter 4: The Dull-Colored Dominion Hammer
Not long after Irene left the house, a group of carriages arrived at the Iron noble family, their rumbling wheels shaking the ground.
Led by the Fifth Princess of the Griffil Holy Kingdom, the procession bore the sacred emblem as they passed through the earl’s gate.
Aasha, guiding her wide-eyed companions—unaccustomed to such Western-style mansions unseen in modern Japan—stepped through the opened doors of the estate.
“Princess Griffil, we are deeply honored by your arduous journey to our humble household.”
The head servant of the Iron Earldom greeted them.
While the summoned heroes were captivated by the servant’s impeccable etiquette, Aasha accepted the courtesy with practiced ease.
“The gratitude is ours. We cannot thank you enough for your efforts in supporting this struggling territory—a duty we, as stewards of the kingdom, hold in the highest regard.”
Once the formalities concluded, Aasha wasted no time in getting to the point.
“The reason for our visit is simple. We received word that the young lady of your house drew the trial blade of Gurba, the famed forge god of Gagiur, and thus we sought an audience.”
The heroes, taken aback by Aasha’s uncharacteristically dignified demeanor, watched the exchange unfold.
For them, the girl who sometimes acted like a typical twelve-year-old was now shouldering the weight of her station—a sight that made the Iron family servant nod in understanding.
“My deepest apologies, Your Highness, but the young lady is currently away. She assured us she would not be gone long, but if you wish to meet her, we must ask for your patience.”
“Away…? How unfortunate.”
“Our most sincere regrets.”
The bowing servant cast a fleeting glance at the fidgeting heroes behind Aasha.
As if responding to that look, Aasha gestured toward them.
“These are the heroes from another world, summoned by the sacred arts of the Griffil Holy Kingdom, who have pledged to subjugate Helheim.”
“…Ah, heroes from another world.”
The servant’s eyes narrowed slightly before he swiftly directed the maids into action. The sudden flurry of movement unsettled the heroes, but the servant offered them a gentle smile.
“My apologies for the oversight. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the lord of the house is indisposed today. In his stead, allow us to offer you humble hospitality.”
“Oh?”
Aasha blinked in surprise at the unexpected offer.
The heroes, however, lit up in excitement.
“Hospitality!?”
“W-wait, so being a hero really is a big deal?!”
“Otherworldly hospitality?! Hell yeah!”
A wave of restless chatter spread through the group—save for a few students.
“…You guys are way too loud.”
“Huh? Sawamura, even in another world, you still can’t read the room—”
“Honestly, the talent it takes to kill the mood in one sentence…”
“If ‘reading the room’ means joining in on the extrovert noise, then I’m fine being ‘bad at it.'”
“Ugh, cringe. Only true normies care about labels like ‘extrovert.'”
“…Tch.”
As the group began moving under the servants’ guidance, a tense atmosphere settled over one corner. Hizaki Hyouka let out a quiet sigh.
Watching the rowdy students, Sawamura sidled up to her.
“Those idiots… They don’t even realize how stupid they look. All they know how to do is make noise. Right, Hizaki?”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. You’re not dumb like them, right?”
“Haaah…”
Unaware of the discomfort in her gaze, Sawamura pressed on.
“In this world, the old hierarchies don’t matter. School social tiers are meaningless. Here, power is everything. Right?”
“…I suppose.”
“You and I—we’ve gained incredible power. So—”
His next words were cut off—
“Ahh… forty… six… Forty… six…”
“Huh?”
At the foot of the central staircase,
standing in the lobby’s spotlight—was him.
His steps were ghostly, unsteady—one misstep away from tumbling down the stairs.
Yet, undeniably, he was there—by his own will.
“M-My lord…!”
Metal Will Iron, head of the Iron family.
A man long since lost to madness, his sunken, hollow eyes fixed forward as he descended before the heroes.
“…Nngh…”
His gait wasn’t the only unsettling thing.
Muttering incoherently, his unnaturally long hair obscuring his eyes—this was no ordinary man.
The bizarre aura froze everyone in place, breath caught in their throats.
“M-My lord, your health—!”
Ignoring the servant’s worried words, he moved—
“…Ah… ahh…”
“Uh… me…?”
—toward Sawamura, who had lagged behind.
A hand reached out—
“Uh, hey—”
—and wrapped around his neck—
“Hohohohoho. Achievement: Secured.”
“Gh—hk…!”
—and twisted.
Silence. Then—an explosion from outside the mansion.
And with that sound, the lord—his face still eerily vacant—spoke.
“The forty-sixth, [Bifrons]. Thus begins… the desecration.”
■
The explosive roar, carried by a gust of wind, drew our attention to Gagiur’s great tree.
“Wh-what was that?!”
“Damn it, I think we’re a little late.”
As Rena-chan panicked, I clicked my tongue at the terrible timing.
Just as we were about to investigate, it seemed the root cause had awakened.
On one hand, it saved us the trouble of searching. But considering the potential casualties, this was the worst-case scenario.
We couldn’t afford to dawdle.
Yet, in that moment, my mind raced—turning this disaster into an opportunity.
“Rena-chan. Your unique ability—what is it?”
“Huh? Wh-why so sudden—”
“Just answer. Combat-type? Creation-type?”
She bit her lip hesitantly. “…Combat… but…”
…From her reaction, it probably wasn’t anything too powerful.
Still, if her ability could turn this situation around, we could skip the tedious investigation altogether—
“Mind telling me what it does?”
“…────────”
And then she explained.An ability so impractical—yet perfect for the plan forming in my mind.
“With something like this… I can’t do anything on my own… It’s useless—”
“Perfect! Nifl, Garm, Nid, Gurba—you handle the town. I’ll check out the great tree. Let’s go, Rena-chan!”
“Huh?!”
Scooping her up, I ignored her flailing.
“H-hey! What are you—?!”
“Corpse King, we’ll rendezvous after you’re done here.”
“Got it. Alright, Rena-chan! Time to cut this town’s curse at the root. You’re going to save this place.”
“Wha—HUH?!”
The forty-sixth Greater Demon, [Bifrons].
Known as the Gravekeeper, this entity’s power was [Dominion Over the Dead].
No exceptions. Every fallen being was subject to its will.
By chance or design, something had trapped Bifrons within the hollow of Gagiur’s great tree—for decades.
Upon regaining awareness, Bifrons worked to recover. To reclaim the dominion it once held over Gagiur.
To that end, it poured its magic into the most influential person who had touched the sword linked to the tree’s hollow—turning them into a temporary puppet.
That puppet was Metal Will Iron.
All to buy time—until the main body could crawl out from the hollow.
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Disgusting.
The detestable Ashen Cloaks, who dared place a stone in the path of the Demon King’s conquest. At their forefront—the insolent wretch who arrogantly styled himself the [Corpse King] before the Demon King’s very eyes.
“I SHALL NOT… FORGET.”
Long ago, they had ravaged Gagiur—once a demon stronghold—slaughtering countless kin.
“…Helheim. Hohoho. As the overture to my vengeance… I shall reclaim this town.”
It emerged.
The mark of Gurba’s blade on the great tree pulsed with violet light. The fragment that had stolen the summoned hero’s mana now fed it back to the main body.
The time had come.
What spilled forth seized the eyes of Gagiur’s people—dazzling, blinding, forcing them to see.
“———The Greater Demon, Earl Bifrons. Fall… into my grasp, Gagiur.”
What oozed from the tree was a grotesque aberration.
Neither fully liquid nor gas—a shifting, amorphous mass. Gurgling, bubbling, yet speaking with chilling clarity.
“Khh…!”
Amid the long silence around the tree, one woman’s throat convulsed. Her stifled gasp shattered the stillness.
[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEAM!!]
A chorus of shrieks erupted as the crowd stampeded toward the town gates.
Even those who hadn’t seen it directly were swept up in the panic, fleeing alongside the screaming masses.
Fear was contagious. But the demon cared nothing for the thunderous footsteps or the cacophony of terror.
As Bifrons’s form writhed and glowed, it intoned:
“Parade of the Dead.”
Once,
Gagiur had thrived as a demon stronghold—before being crushed underfoot by wolves.
Now, the grudges of those fallen demons—their resentment, their rage—manifested anew.
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